Cattle-guard.



F. D. HAGAN.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 191a.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

INVENTOR FD. Hayan.

ATTbRNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRLPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

.FFT CE.

onrrnneunan;

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patentedfiet. 21,1913.

Application.filedlilarch 8.191s. Seria1'1\T o.752 ,815.

To all whom z'tmay-ooncern: 7

Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. HAGAN, a citizen of the United. States, residingv at McKinney, in the county of Collinv and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification. I My invention relatesto cattle-guardsaand relates particularly. to that class: of. cattle guards which. comprise a plurality of piv o-tedmembers each adaptedto rock toaninclined position. when stepped upon.

The object of the invention is" to provide a novel manner of mounting the pivoted members upon the rail ties, and toform the. members in such a; manner that: when the same is subjected to displacement by an-animals foot, a certain portion of, the member will come into sudden contact: with the foot, frightening the animal and'preventing a further attempt themes the cattle guard. The object of the invention isfinally to provide a device of the character. described that will be strong, durable, simple-and efficient and comparatively easy to construct. WVith these and various other objects in view my invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View showing several sections of my cattle guard mounted between the rails of a track. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same taken upon the line ca re of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary view showing an end oortion of one of my cattle guard sections slowing also the projecting extremity of the bar which forms a pivotal support for said section. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of two sections of my cattle guard, one of the same'being shown in its displaced position, the plane of section being transverse with the ties.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes the rails of a track and 2 designates the rail ties. Above each tie there is longitudinally mounted a bar 8, having its extremities provided with slots 4, through each of which is passed a spike 4, serving the double purpose of securing the correlated bar extremity and the adjacent rail to the tie into which said spike is driven. The extremities of said bars 3 will, preferably rest, upon the base portions of the rail 1 as is best shown in Fig. 2. Upon each bar 3 there is pivotally mounted a cattle guard section comprising a sheet metal plate bent to form three integral parts respectively numbered 5, 6 and 7. A pair. of U-shapedbrackets 8 secured to the under side of the portion 5-of each member establish a pivotal relation between said member and one of the bars 3. The portion 6 has; the nature of a rib projecting upwardly at a slight inclination toward the portion 5 and formed by producing a fold in the metal plate. The portion 7 comprises a folded, portion. of eachmember normally having contact with one edge of the correlated; tie as is clearly shown in Fig. i. The portion, 5 of each member, projects in a substantially horizontal position some distance beyond the correlated tie under normal conditions. l/Vhen the parts are in their normal condition, narrow spaces'i) are formed between the adjacent members of the cattle guard as is best seenin Fig. 1.

When an animal attemptsto gain a foothold between any two of the ribs 6, one of the cattle guard members in which said ribs are' embodied will yield under the pressure of the animals foot and will assume the inclined position shown at theright hand side of Fig. 4. The animals footing will thus be completely lost, and at the same time the rib 6 will come into sudden contact with the animals ankle tending to frighten the animal and to further prevent any of the animals weight from being rested upon the foot inserted between the two cattle guard members. Thus it is apparent that my cattle guard will afford absolutely no footing to cattle and will efiectually prevent the cattle from crossing any portion of the track equipped in the manner above described.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications as come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cattle guard member, comprising an elongated metal plate, mounted longitudinally upon a track tie, and provided with a pivotal axis parallel with said tie, the member being normally substantially horizontal at one side of the pivotal axis, and having at the other side of said axis an upstanding rib parallel with the tie, a preponderance of weight being disposed at the side of the member provided with sald rib,

normally producing contact between the edge of said side and the corresponding edge of the tie, the member being swung to an inclined position when weight is brought upon its horizontal portion.

2. A cattle guard member, comprising a bar spaced above a rail tie and having its extremities respectively mounted upon the base portions of the track rail, and an elongated metal plate pivoted upon said bar, a preponderance of the weight of said member being disposed at one side of the bar, normally producing contact between the edge of said side and the corresponding edge of the tie, the member being swung to an inclined position when weight is brought upon its other side, and an upstanding rib extending longitudinally of the plate.

' 3. In a cattle guard, a plurality of elongated plates, each having a longitudinal rib and fiat portions on each side of the rib, said flat portions of each plate being disposed at an angle to each other, and a plurality of bars, each pivotally supporting one of the plates and having its ends fixed.

4. In a cattle guard, a plurality of elongated plates, each having a longitudinal rib and fiat portions on each side of the rib, said fiat portions of each plate being dis posed at an angle to each other, the rib of each plate being inclined over one of the fiat plate portions so as to slightly overhang the same, and a plurality of bars, each pivotally supporting one of the plates and having its ends fixed.

5. In a cattle guard, the combination with a tie, of a bar mounted longitudinally over the tie, and an elongated metal plate hinged on said bar and having two fiat portions extending from a longitudinal upstanding rib, one of said flat plate portions being inclined downward with relation to the other, the plate being hinged on the bar so that a preponderance of weight is on the side carrying the rib and the inclined portion whereby the inclined portion normally rests against the tie.

6. In a cattle guard, the combination with adjacent ties, of bars, one mounted over each tie, an elongated metal plate hinged on each tie and having an elongated upstanding rib and tread portions on each side of the rib, one of the plate tread portions being inclined and normally resting on the tie, the plates being disposed so that the inclined tread portion of one is presented toward the relatively opposite tread portion of the other plate between the ties.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS D. HAGAN.

Witnesses:

CLELLIE CARR, J. T. MURRAY.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

